May 31, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Small Troubles.

When I am by myself, small troubles give me big difficulties.   When small things go wrong in the mornings when Portia is here,  I just ask for help and what is the matter disappears.  But after Portia leaves at 1:00 or on the weekends when I am by myself, the small troubles in my life cause me stress.  The large issues in my life are under control but when those small troubles appear,  I have trouble.

On Saturday, I booked the flights for friend David N. when he will accompany me back to Mississippi.  I finished the bookings and was putting everything away.  I was sitting on the couch in the living room.  I typically put a pillow on my lap to use as a desk.  On top of that pillow was my credit card, which I used during the transaction.  On top of the credit card was my calendar.  When I put the calendar away, the credit card was not there.  So I searched.  My vision is terrible but I kept telling me that it was right there in front of me.  I 

searched.  I could not find it.  I knew that if Portia was there she would have found it immediately.  Finally, after 30 minutes, I found it.  Whew.

Then Friday evening, I dropped the remote for the TV.  The next time I used it, the remote would not work.  Grrrr.  I wanted to watch Anything Goees, on Masterpiece Theater.  But I remote would not work.  I felt sure I just needed to check the batteries but between my terrible vision and my lack of dexterity in my fingers I could not even open the battery case.  Fortunately, Chantes just walked in to tell me he was leaving for the day so he quickly opened the clicker, jiggled the batteries and it worked.  I would have never been able to open that remote.  It was a little thing.  But I was hopeless. 

May 30, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Cabbage.

 I like to eat cabbage.  I enjoy cabbage in many forms.  I like cabbage rolls.  I like slaw.  I like the salad that Kenny and Anne made of purple cabbage.  And I like just plain old cooked cabbage served with butter.  But I am never served cabbage.  Last week, Portia was listing the vegetables she would buy at the grocery store and she asked if I liked cabbage.  I said yes.  So she bought one along with lots of other vegetables.  On Friday she asked if I wanted her to cook the cabbage so I could eat it over the weekend.  So she did.

Late in the morning, she went into the kitchen and announced that the cabbage was ready.  I asked if she knew where we kept the colander but she said that the way she cooked the cabbage she did not need to drain anything.  I thought that was interesting so I asked her how she cooked cabbage.  And she told me.  For my main meal on Friday I ate a small steak, cabbage and carrots.  I will tell you that the cabbage was delicious.

Here is what she did.  She chopped the whole cabbage into small but not tiny pieces.  In a large pot she sautéed chopped onions and peppers in olive oil until they are soft.  Then she put all the chopped cabbage into the pot and mixes the cabbage with the olive oil and seasonings.  Lastly she added a cup of chicken broth into the pot.  Turned the heat on low, covered the pot and let all the broth simmer down to nothing.  Then the cabbage is ready to eat.  The results were spectacular.  Cabbage southern style.  Just like their green beans.   

May 29, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Brunch and Tennis.

 I was puttering around this morning, until mid morning.  So instead of eating breakfast at the normal time, I ate mid morning, thus turning it into brunch.  And I remembered that the French Open was on the channel devoted to tennis so instead of reading while I ate breakfast,  turned on the TV and ate my ample breakfast and watched tennis.  And I enjoyed myself.  I sat by myself in solitary splendor and watched tennis while I drank my English Breakfast  tea.  And I kept watching until nap time.

I have been out of touch with the tennis world so I was pleased to watch players I know nothing about.  For instance, I had never seen the number 1 player until today.  He is good.  And his name is Alvarez.  Now I know and can recognize hime on sight.  I am not in love with watching clay court tennis. because the points go on too long.  But the clay at Poland Garros is quick so the points end more quickly.  I actually refused to watch Naldal play tennis on claw.  Each point went on and on.  But today the matches were good.   Good matches and I got to see new faces.  So my time at the French Open gave me great pleasure.  Memorial Day was pleasant.

May 28, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Update on Granddaughters.

 This week, several people have asked about specific granddaughters.  So Here it is.

Molly just completed her 9th year at Jackson Prep.  Today we celebrated her successful year at brunch.  Her goal for the year was to make all A's.  And she did.

Mary Frances has just completed her first year on the job at Millsaps.  She just submitted a big  grant to a new group to Millsaps.  And the field is new too.  So she was pleased.  

Kate is pleased with her move to Greenville, SC.  She likes her job on the kidney transplant floor.  And she enjoys Greenville.  Kate looks great and all is well.  She is happy, energetic and confident.

Samantha has just completed her third year at the U. of Virginia.  After one more year,  she will get a degree in Kinesiology and after two full summers and one more year will receive a Masters inKinesiology with a specialty as an athletic trainer.  She is a good student.  And she works hard.

Allison is just completing a semester in New Zealand and will return for her last year at the U.of Colorado at Boulder.  She also is a good student and wants to get into medical school.

Abigail graduated from Furman.  For the past two years she has worked at a ski hill in Colorado where she skis every day.  She is happy as a clan and according to David, Abby if fit as a fiddle.  She is loving her life.  Right now she is working on line doing sales.

Sarah just graduated from law school at Texas Tech.  She will now study for the bar which will take place July 22.  She has accepted a job in Dallas at a small fire dealing with gas and oil.  She is thrilled and excited.  Sarah will start work in Dallas on Sept. 1.  

The granddaughters are doing well.  And they work hard.  I am proud of them all.

May 27, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Hockey Playoffs.

 Finally, Dallas won one game.  Then they e won a second.  Now they are only one game behind Las Vegas Golden Knights.  Once it was 3 to 0.  Now it is 3 to 2 with the 6th game back in Dallas on Monday.  So we have a real series.  I believe that the Golden Knights are in trouble.  But for a while, it appeared that we would have Florida against Las Vegas for the Stanley Cup.  For a Canadian, seeing Florida against Las Vegas seems strange.  

The Eastern Conference championship was a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, an excellent team too..  Florida just squeaked into the playoffs.  And surprised everyone  by winning every series.  First they knocked out Boston, who I thought would go to the final.  Then they beat Toronto, who I also thought could go through to the final game.  Now they wait until the Western Conference will end.   I wonder if the extended waiting will hurt or help the games to win the Stanley Cup.  We are going to find out.  But first the west must finish.  If I were a betting lady, I would be betting on Dallas.  But first they must play the games.  I am ready.

May 26, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Good News.

Tina is going to cook dinners for me when I have company this summer.  I am thrilled.  Tina lives on Main Street down by the lighthouse.  She moved to Liverpool to retire from Toronto five years ago.  For many years she owned a catering company in Toronto and she is a good cook.  She also owned three small carryout gourmet stores.  And then she sold her businesses to live in Liverpool.  Tina is a good friend of my friends Larry and Jan who also lives on Main Street.  After a year to get settled, Tina started working part time, first at Hunt's Point Market and last year at at the Privateers Inn.  She is by far the most accomplished cook and caterer in Liverpool.

A Month ago, she e mailed me to tell that she could not help me with cooking.  I had asked Larry to ask Tina and that was her response.  But she has changed her mind.  Both Privateer Inn and White point want her to become the executive she.  But she is retired so does not wish to take on those tasks.  So yesterday I got an e mail from her offering me her assistance.  Actually, friend David N. has been working at her house fixing her fence and he asked her to considering helping me.  Today i e mailed her.  And we spoke on the phone.  It is all set.  Starting June 26, Tine will prepare dinner for me when I have company.  I am more than thrilled.  I am in hog heaven.

And, my glucose level came under 300 for the first time in three weeks.  267 this morning.  Whoopee.  The new meds are working.  All good news today. 

May 25, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Summer 2023.

Summer 2023 is evolving nicely.  My Oncologist is not pleased that I am going.  But I am going.  I know at some point I will be unable to travel to Nova Scotia, but not yet.  I am going on June 24, accompanied by Chris, my Lyft driver.  He will spend two weeks in Nova Scotia before returning to Mississippi on July 7.  He will stay in the main house because he said he can not help me if he stays in the guest house.  This is a nice gesture because staying in the guest house is special.  But of course, he has not actually seen it yet.  So he will be the first guest.

Then Gloria and Gary are coming in July, along with Amanda and her three children who are 16, 14 and 13.  We will have a full house.  And we will have young people living in the house, which I love.  My friends Pat and Mal are hoping to come this summer.  And my friends who took the train with me last September are coming in early September.  My friend of many years, Carolyn DeWolfe will be coming near the end of September.  So I will enjoy the summer with my friends.

I am unable to find anyone to cater so we will find alternatives.  The bakery in town sells dinners that they cook and you take home, so we will use them a bit.  We will go out to the restaurants.  And I will ask Anna to do some cooking for me, which she did the year of Covid when no one could come.  So here we go, all ready for a summer in Nova Scotia.

May 24, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. My New Prescription and Chris.

 Dr. Gregg made a new plan yesterday.  Her nurse called me at 4:00 to tell me that a new prescription had been sent to the pharmacy and I could pick it up.  This is good news because our old plan was not working.  My problem is getting that prescription.  Portia had gone for the day and she was not working the next day.  My neighbor is away.  And I want that new medicine.  So I texted Chris.  He immediately agreed to pick it up at Walgreens and bring it to me, which he did.  So I took my first new pill.  I paid him for the prescription and gave him some money for his trip, which he declined.  But I pressed him to take it and he eventually did.  Fair is fair.

In addition, I invited him out for lunch for the next day.  So tooday we went to my favorite Greek seafood restaurant.  And we had fun.  I insisted that we use Lyft so he would be compensated for my ride.  The food was delicious as always.  He had actually not eaten there so he was pleased.  I appreciated his kindness yesterday so today I gave him a little thank you for him.  And we had a good time too.  Once again, I am fortunate with my friends. 

May 23, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. My Glucose Level.

 Three weeks ago I started a new type of chemo therapy for my breast cancer.  One of the many side effects is the risk of elevated glucose.  Well, as you remember, last Fall, my glucose level went sky high when I began new chemo therapy so my Oncologist immediately stopped the chemo.  I went to Mexico with half the original chemo dose.  My glucose levels stayed acceptable but the half dose did nothing to the breast cancer.  My PET scan when I returned in March was terrible.

This time, Dr, Gregg my Geriatric Doctor is trying a new approach.  After three days of the new chemo this time my glucose level kept going up so Dr. Gregg had me take one more Mettformin at supper time along with the two in the morning.  That had no impact so next I was to take two in the evening.  That did not work either.  My glucose was still in the 300's.  This morning it was 356 which is not acceptable.  Now I take one more medication, once a day.  Dr. Gregg feels sure we can get this under control without stopping the chemo.  That chemo is specically designed for my breast cancer cell so Dr. Gregg does not want to tamper with it.

So once again, we are trying another experiment to try to keep my glucose level in control.  I hope it works.

May 22, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Car in my Driveway.

 A small dark blue car has been sitting in my driveway.  It  has been there for over three weeks.  And I would like it to move.  The little old car is owned by my handyman, Chantes.  It broke down just as Chantes drove into the driveway.  It has been sitting there ever since.  But it clogs up the parking area and I would like it moved.  Cantes wants it moved too.

Today the mechanic was supposed to be here at %:00 to make the repairs.  I actually do not know if he appeared to do the job.  The first day after the car broke down we were told the same thing.  "I will be there tomorrow,' he said.  But he did not appear.  Chantes is beside himself.  The mechanic is a member of his church which makes life doubly difficult.  Chantes has called him so often that the mechanic stopped returning his call.  But today Chantes was told that the mechanic would be here for certain.  He had the part and he would be there.

I told Chantes that if the car is not gone by Friday I was going to hire a tow truck and have it taken to his house.    Tomorrow morning, when Portia arrives, she will tell me whether or not the mechanic ever appeared.  We will see very soon.

May 21, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Brunch Today.

 I knew this would happen and today it did.  My grandchildren have been very kind about coming for brunch with me every Sunday.  But as the girls get older, they get busier .  So today, Christina and I had brunch together, just the  two of us.  Both grandchildren living in Jackson were otherwise engaged so this morning neither of them were able to join me.

Mary Frances and two friends drove to Atlanta for the weekend.  A band they liked was playing a concert so obviously she was unable to join us.  And Molly is in the midst of final exams and she arranged to study with a friend this morning so she could not join us either.  Molly cares about her grades and works hard to prepare for her exams.  I certainly did not discourage her from  studying.  She has exams today and tomorrow so by Wednesday she will completed her 9th grade.   She is a good student and she wants to do well at school.  I applaud her efforts.  But I missed her today at brunch.

Christina and I decided to go to Manships restaurant, perhaps the best restaurant in Jackson.  We both ate salmon and it was good.  We had a good time, Christina and I, but we both missed the girls.  Next Sunday we should be together, I hope.  I miss those girls.

May 20, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Cottage Life.

Cottage season has begun in Ontario.  Wonderful Wendy and friend Ken drove to the cottage on Wednesday.  The place has been closed up since last October so they have plenty to do to open things up for the season.  So far they have cleaned out weeds from the garden.  And they shopped for groceries.  They put out all the outside furniture and set it up.  And they cleaned the inside.  So after this weekend, they will be able to relax and enjoy the cottage.

Wendy almost always swims in Muskoka Lake the weekend they open the cottage.  But the water temperature was 57 degrees so she decided that more sun was needed to heat up the lake.  I will be interested to know if she goes into the water this weekend.  In the past, she just went swimming without regard for the temperature.  Maybe you get wiser when you get older and you check the water temperature before you get in.

It is interesting to note that Mississippi people do not have summer cottages.  Some have a condo in Florida or a country place for hunting.  But there is nothing like cottage life in Mississippi.  I still miss our cottage in Nova Scotia at Ponhook Lake.  It was a perfect cottage and we loved it.  I will enjoy the exploits from Wendy and Ken.  Another summer has begun. 

May 19, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Front Walk.

 The front walk, made of brick, looks great.  Finally, it is finished.  Well, Chantes and his worker will finish up a few things tomorrow but for eyes, it looks complete.  And it looks beautiful.  But more importantly, the walk from the house to the car will be  safe,  No tipping to the left and no half a brick just outside of the front door.  Tomorrow I am not to use it.  But on Sunday when I go to brunch, I will walk right down the new walk.  And I will be pleased.

In my front parking area sits Chantes car.  It broke down.  The mechanic keeps telling Chantes that he will come tomorrow with the new part.  But he never comes.  I want that car gone.  The mechanic is a member of Chantes's church which makes it difficult to hassle the mechanic.  But I have told Chantes that I want that car gone, sooner than later.  Nothing is easy.  Nothing is pure.  My walk looks lovely but now I have a car sitting in my parking area.  Grrr.

May 18, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Wedding of Julia and Travis.

My friend Lisa has four children.  Her eldest is Julia who is a pretty girl and who just graduated College  last Saturday.  She graduated at the University of Mississippi, in the school of engineering.  Her now husband also graduated at Ol" Miss also in engineering.   They were friends in high school.  But it was not until College that they started dating.  Travis proposed 6 months ago and today they were married.  And the wedding was beautiful.

Actually, I have never attended any wedding that I did not think were beautiful.  It was held at an outside venue in Madison.  Fortunately it rained late in the afternoon which lowered the temperature to 70.  Up until the rain, Christina and I thought we would swelter at 89.  But we got lucky.  Being around all those young people i always find is a pleasure.  And most of my friends from Mississippi were there so I was able to talk to them all.

The service itself was lovely.  Hearing those vows again is always gives pleasure.  The rest of the wedding was efficient.  When we entered the large room for the reception, the buffet dinner was all set out as was the bar so the minute we entered the room, the guests could help themselves to dinner and a drink.  Shortly after that the bride and groom danced, as did the mothers.  There were two very short toasts.  And then they cut the cake.  By 8:00 we were free to go home.  Clever Christina drove me and picked me up at 5:00 for the 6:00 wedding.  Christina remembered that I wore the same dress at her wedding.  It was pretty back then and it was pretty today.  But I was surprised that she had such good recall.

The wedding was beautiful  Now I wish Julia and Travis  a long and happy marriage.  They have started out on a good path.

May 17, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Bifocals.

When I was eight years old and living in Calgary, a clever eye doctor prescriber bifocals for me.  Well they were a disaster.  I was an active child and I fell all the time.  I ripped a dress.  I skinned a knee.  And soon I broke my glasses.  The whole event was traumatic for me.  I soon returned to single lens.  And I have refused to wear bifocal lenses ever since.  My solution has been to keep a pair of prescription reading glasses beside every chair where I read.  So all has been well.

Except where I watch television.  If I put on my reading glasses to read a text or to  look up a channel on my pad, I can not see the television.  And when I need to look at the small print on the remote and put on my reading glasses, I can not see the screen.  I had an extra pair of glasses so I just had that pair made into bifocals so I can both see the television or read.  I thought that as I was sitting still, I should be able to manage.  

Much to my surprise, they work like a charm.  Most everyone who use them do well but I was determined to never ever try bifocals again.  So don't ever tell me that you can't teach old dogs new tricks.  

May 16, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Caterer.

 The little Restaurant who brought dinners last year has lost their cook so they are unable to cater meals when I have company.  And there is no one in town to cook for me.  Fortunately, I do not have large groups coming to visit so I have decided to just go out for dinner when I have house guests.  When I am alone, I will ask Anna to cook for me, something she did a few years ago when no one was able to travel.  Chris will be my first guest and I feel sure he will not mind driving us out to dinner.  I have decided that my solution will be fun.

We have used caterers for many years in Nova Scotia.  Once upon a time, there was actually a real caterer. He worked at our 50th anniversary in 2008.  But he was recruited away to Alberta as the executive chef inWaterton  National Park in Alberta.  And he has never returned to Liverpool.  But we have always found someone else to cook.  For two years we loved Chef Irene, who teaches at the Culinary School in Bridgewater.  The Texas girls loved her.  But she quit.

Then for several years we used different restaurants who delivered dinners to us.  But this year, no such luck.  I am on my own.  I might ask Anna if she would cook dinner if I have company.  I am thinking about it.  But at the moment, I am stuck without a caterer.  Should be interesting.

May 15, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Hockey Playoffs.

And that is why they play the games.  Fortunately I do not gamble because I would have never have picked the four teams playing for their conference finals.  Not one of them.  Well, perhaps the Dallas Stars but none of the other three.  But the playoffs have been fun although all my tams lost.  Now as I have no favorites, I can just watch the games.  

At the begginning  of the playoffs, I thought for sure that Boston would go on to play for The Stanley Cup.  But they lost in the first round.  I was hoping that both Toronto and Edmonton would go deep into the playoffs.  But they both lost in the second round.  So now we have some new blood into the semifinals, which I like.  In the east, the Carolina Hurricanes will play the Florida Panthers.  That will be interesting games because they both play very fast.  And the players are skillful.

The Dallas Stars will play the Las Vegas Golden Nights for the western conference championship.    We will see very tough games.  I have no idea who will win but the games will be good.

I have no idea who will win the Stanley Cup but if I was betting, I would select Florida.  But no one asks me.  Instead, they just play the games and we watch.  Great fun watching these playoffs.  I am enjoying myself.  The next round begins on Thursday.

May 14, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. David N.

 I have been concerned.  I had my plane ticket to get me home from Nova Scotia but I had no one to accompany so I was going to be alone, which no one thought a good  idea.   I was supposed to take a cruise down the Atlantic coast but I cancelled it.  David was coming with me on that cruise so I wondered if he might like to come with me to Mississippi.  So I asked him just this week.  And he was delighted.  He has never been to Mississippi so he is looking forward to checking it out.  But he must tell me how long he wishes to stay so I can book his ticket.  Now I am relieved.

When I left Nova Scotia last September, David agreed to make some repairs to the deck.  George is too busy so David agreed to do the job.  But he has been busy and he procrastinates.  And he had no real deadline until now.  He has promised to make all the repairs before I arrive June 24.  I bet he completes the tasks the day before.  But I don't care.  I just want the deck safe and sound for the summer.

David is a very pleasant fellow.  On the cruise he was an excellent companion.  He can talk to anyone and he is friendly.  I think he will fit right in to Mississippi.  He is excited to be coming.   I am pleased with myself to have thought about him.  So we are set to fly September 30 to Mississippi.  And we will have fun.

May 13, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Great Performance.

The show was wonderful, celebrating 50 years of Broadway.  1970 to 2020.  I got to see lots of dancing and singing, also tap dancing.  Such talent.  I loved the 90 minute show.  But what did surprise me was that many songs, all from Broadway shows, were unfamiliar to me.  And most of the performers too were not known to me.  I have really been out of touch with Broadway of recent years.

When I was watching all the talent on display in the show I thought about a friend of Mary Frances.  The friend was multitalented at high school.  Her grades were high as were her test scores.  She could sing.  She could dance.  And she could act.  So of course she was in all the school productions.  And she was a good friend of Mary Frances, my granddaughter.  Then the friend went to a collage with a major of entertainment and business.  And of course she was in all the University productions.  After graduating, she received a paid intern at The New Stage Theater in Jackson.  Now she will soon head to New York so she can try to test herself against the best.  

All the time when I was enjoying the Great Performance show, I kept thinking about Mary Frances's friend, trying to compete against the talents on display during the show.    Such talent.  Such energy.  Great Performance was impressive last evening on PBS.  I loved every minute.   

May 12, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Lunch With Donna.

Donna lives across the street.  And she is a good neighbor and friend.  But we do not see each other very often.  Her kitchen and family room are across the back of her house.  And her garage is at the back of the house off a little lane so I never see anyone come or go.  We make a date to have lunch every month.  This Wednesday we went to lunch.  And we had a good time.  The rules are set by me.  Donna drives  and I pay the bill.  Wednesday she picked me up at 12:30.  We always decide where we are going to dine while we are driving away.  This time we elected to go to a greek and seafood restaurant, Vasilesky.  I had gone there twice with friend Carie but I could never remember where it was located.  Fortunately, Donna knew.

Donna's daughter, Anne Avery is graduating from high school this year so I eagerly was told about all the activities that come out of a senior year.  We always have fun catching up from our last lunch in April.  so we had a lot to talk about.  Anne Avery is interested in design so she will attend the Southern Georgia University, which has a fine program of design.

The food was delicious.  I ate scallops while Donna ate tilapia.  Both were served vegetables all cooked together which tasted like New Orleans.  Delicious food and good company makes for a lovely event.  And Donna brought me home and made sure I was safely  inside the house.  Donna is a good neighbor.

May 11, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. I Am Messy.

I splll stuff on my clothes.  I have done it all my life.   When I was a young child, my Mother learned to have me put on my Sunday clothes just before we left for church.  She would say that my older sister Carol, who was two and a half years older could get dressed before breakfast wearing her pretty Sunday dress and she would still be pristine in her clothes.  But not me.  I would have spilled on my dress or ripped it.  Fortunately, my Mother did not get cross with me.  But she always had me dress just before we left the house.

Funny how that has carried over.  Once at a wedding, I spilled salad dressing on the jacket of a lovely outfit.  I laughed and commented to my friends at the table that I probably will never get that oil out of that silk garment so I should throw it out.  Gill spoke out immediately and asked me to give her the dress.  So the next morning at breakfast I gave her the dress, which was made up a skirt, jacket, blouse and sash all in a lovely silk color.  It took her three attempts at the specialty cleaner but Gill still wears that elegant outfit on all her cruises.  All because I was messy.

For the last few years Ken spilled when eating which bothered him so he wore a bib.  He did not like to spill on his shirts.  I on the other hand, do not seem to be bothered when I spill on my blouse even though I spill all the time.  My vision is lousy so I can't even see the spots.  My solution is to always assume I have spilled so put my clothes in the laundry basket every time I take off my clothes.  I was messy as a child and I spill as an old lady.  I never seemed to be bothered.  But thank goodness for washing machines.

May 10, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Portia and my Walker.

 Portia left at her usual 1:00.  She had just brought my lunch in the television room.  And she left.  It was not until after she left that I realized that both of my walkers were in the living room while I was in the television room all by my self.  Once in Mexico, Wonderful Wendy had moved my walker across the room where I could not get it.  But I knew Wendy would be coming back for lunch, so I just waited.  But I knew Portia would not be coming back until tomorrow, so I had to figure out how to get my walker.

I figured out that I could use the wall to get me to the door of the living room but there is about 10 feet from the door to the walker so I decided that was risky.  Next I decided to use a small chair that sits in the TV room where I could use it as a walker, just picking it up with each step.  Then Portia called and she suggested I call Chantes who had been working on the walkway.  He and his worker were in the garage having lunch.  He bailed me out and quickly came inside to bring me one of my walkers.  Poor Portia felt badly.  But all was well.  And I just laughed.

May 9, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. My Brick Walk.

Normally, when you get out of the car, you walk along a brick path to get into the house.  But today it is not so easy.  You must go into the garage and along a walk into the kitchen door, because Chantes has pulled up all the bricks, right from the house up to the two steps , which is about half the way to the parking area.  For two days he has been using a jackhammer, which is noisy.  Then he removes the bricks and stacks them in the garage.   So it is a mess out front.  My Mother told me that you must upset the present in order to make the future better.  And that is what Chantes is doing.

This house was well built so Ken and I were surprised that a drain had not been installed in front.  But today Chantes found the drain, just to the left of the brick wall.  Many years before we bought this place,  the foliage had totally covered up the drain so much so that no water could ever get down.  Now he will extend that drain and connect it to the main drain going around the house.  Chantes lectured me about keeping the drain open.  "You must never allow anyone to plant close to the drain," said Chantes.    Now after fixing the drains, he will level the ground and then put down the old bricks.  So all will be well.

But in the meantime, I have a mess infront of my house.   Progress indeed.

May 8, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Best Made Plans.

Last Tuesday, Dr, Gregg and I decided to stop me taking  the diabetes medicine as my glucose level was so low at 105.  So I did.  On Friday when Portia checked my level it was 134, still OK.  But then on Friday my new chemotherapy arrived by courier so I started the regimen of 2 pills once a day, with food.  I elected to take the medicine with breakfast so I took the chemo every morning beginning with Friday.  I had Portia read the side effects for the chemo.  One that bothered me was that the chemo can make glucose levels rise.  

Portia does not work on the weekend so I did not have my glucose level checked until this morning.  And it was an OOPS.  My level was 275.  So I quickly started taking my old diabetes medicine.  And I called to tell Dr. Gregg what I had done.  Portia will check my level every day and hope they return to normal.  Our little experiment of trying to keep me off the metforin has ended.  It sounded like a good idea at the time.  But the timing was bad.  Now we will hope for the best that the diabetes medication will work this time.  Here we go again, back fighting glucose level.  Oh Bother.

May 7, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. A Walk in the Neighborhood.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I went for  walks in my neighborhood.  It was  a nice place to walk because there is very little traffic and the dogs must be on a leash.  And as every house is different, you can look at interesting houses.  When we first moved here in 2015, I used to tell Ken that no one really lives in those houses because I never saw anyone during my walks.   Nothing has changed except me.

Last week Portia and I went for a walk in the neighborhood.  This was the first walk for several  years.  Now I feel as I must someone accompanying me during my walk.  But Portia is willing so we will do it again.  My walking has been hampered, first by my achilles problem and them the wound on my foot.  And every time I start to increase my walking I get a redness on the old wound.  I see the wound doctor this coming Friday because my new skin has made a scab and it keeps getting red.  So I need to ask some questions.

When the old wound gets pink or red, the foot hurts.  We are now putting the bandage back on the foot to protect the new scab.  Whether or not I continue to walk in the neighborhood depends on what the wound doctor tells me.  I will soon find out how much I should be walking in my neighborhood.

May 6, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Lost Evening.

It was 10:45 and I was sitting beside the front door waiting for Chris, my Lyft driver, to pick me up to take me to brunch with Christina and the girls.  Chris is never late so in 5 minutes I texted him.  But he did not respond immediately so I called Christina.  Finally, Chris texted me back to tell me that he would pick me up at 10:45 am.  Then I looked carefully at my phone which said 11:00pm.  And Christina called to suggest that I have overslept my nap.  She was correct.

I missed all the clues.  It was pitch dark outside.  The 9:00 program I watch at breakfast, Aerial America, was not on the TV.  But I just went ahead getting ready for brunch.  I washed and dressed.  I took my morning medicine.  I ate yoghurt for breakfast.  And I waited for Chris.  And then I figured it out.

I always lay down for an hour in the afternoon which I did yesterday.  I fell asleep about 3:00.  And I stayed asleep.  When I finally woke up it was just a bit light and I thought it was morning so I went to the bathroom and went back to bed.  But I stayed awake which was unusual.  But I thought it was morning so stayed in bed until 8:30 when I began my morning routine.

When I finally realized what I had done, I went back to bed and slept .  Now I am going to eat my evening meal of last night and get dressed once again to begin my day.  I had lost my whole evening.  I am going to blame my new chemo, not my stupidity.

May 5, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. A Cuban Party.

Chantes is from Cuba, as is all his crew.  So he suggested to me that when all the outside spring cleaning has been completed, he and his crew would give me and my friends and family a Cuban party.  We would have it in the backyard, where all the decks and railing have been repaired and painted.  He already asked all his crew members and his family.  They all think it is a good idea.

Their plan is to cook only Cuban food, which they will cook at home.  And they will bring Cuban drinks.  I have no idea what that entails but I suspect it will be heavy with rice and beans and legumes with lots of vegetables and chicken.  We can not make a date until the front walk has been completed and as the bricks have not yet been pulled up, it may take a while.  Chantes and I have decided that Sunday would be the best, perhaps at 1:00.  The workers do not work on Sunday so it is easier.  And if we hold it at 1:00, the beverage of choice would be water, which makes life easier.

I have spoken to my family and some friends, and they think it is a grand idea.  I am not so sure I am up to hosting a backyard party, especially is Portia is unable to work.  But we will see.  I can not really carry stuff in and out of the house to the deck but Chantes tells me that his crew will look after everything.  A Cuban party would be fun.  But first the walk must be finished.  Then we can make a date.  It should be fun.

May 4, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Chemotherapy.

Modern Medicine is astonishing.  Do not believe in the good old days.   Present days are better, especially in the world of medicine.  I had a liver biopsy.  We got the results quickly.  Breast cancer cells were in my liver, which we all assumed was the case.  But then the breast cancer cells went to a specialty lab to find out what specific cells were in the liver.  Recent research has determined that many different types of breast cancer cells exist in the body.  The Oncologist wanted to know the specific cell  so she could match the specific cell with the specific chemotherapy.

The Oncologist felt sure that I would need to receive infusion chemotherapy.  She said that there was only one oral chemo that will match with one specific cell, and she had only 3 matches in her whole career.  She assured me that was about one in a million that it would be me.  But she was wrong.  I will receive oral chemo, that will be delivered to me on Saturday.  So I will be able to take my chemo with me when I go to Nova Scotia.  No infusion chem for me in Nova Scotia.

Along with the oral chemo I must take a shot every two weeks.  But it is approved in Canada and I can obtain it in my local pharmacy.  Fortunately, nephew Norm will write me a prescription.  He will also write the prescription for the shot for my bones.  What would I do without Norm.  I call him Nifty Norm.

It is an amazing world.  Now we just need to know if the chemo will work.  But with a happy heart, good food and beautiful surroundings, success is on my side.   And besides, all my friends and family are cheering me on.  Pretty nice.

May 3, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. My Glucose Levels.

 For the past two weeks, my glucose levels have been low.  107, 114, with a high of 134.  When I was in Mexico, my levels were between 135 and 175.  But when I returned to Mississippi, my levels started creeping up.  At first I decided that it was the stress of travel.  But it kept going up so I evaluated what I was eating here in Mississippi that I was not eating in Mexico.  Wendy did an excellent job of serving me only food that was good for me.  Here in Mississippi,  I was eating little oranges.  Christina got me a bag of those little tangerines and I was enjoying them.  Anna had cooked me stew to leave in the freezer.  That stew contained potatoes.  The oranges and potatoes were giving me trouble.  Portia  made a purist out of me and I ate no carbohydrates and no oranges.  Slowly my numbers went down.

Dr. Gregg, my Internist, does not want  my numbers going down any further  so I called her.  Now we have a plan.  I will check my levels every other day.  And we will stop the medicine to control my diabetes.  Wow.  This will be interesting.  If the chemo really was causing my glucose levels go up, my system should have shed that chemo from my body, so perhaps I have recovered.  We are going to find out soon.  This morning was my first day without my diabetes medication.  Tomorrow we will check my levels.  This is going to be interesting.

May 2, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. My Front Walkway.

 The walkway from my house to the parking area is made of brick.  There is one step in front of the front door, then another smaller stop before you step onto the longer walk.  And the walkway close to the house is tilted.  So the walkway is not perfect and in fact is dangerous.   On the left side of the walk is a patio area, where we installed a fountain and a stone bench.  It looks pretty.  But Ken was never able to find a drain from the patio area.  He figured that there must have been a drain installed at the front, but he could never find one.

When Chantes did a survey of the work to be done for the spring cleaning, he did not notice the tipped walk but when he was here working during a heavy rain, he noted that there was no drain.  The water pooled  so he showed me and we added to his list.  He has now completed the tasks from his original list of defects and he charged me $1,000. less for the labor.  The work went more quickly than anticipated.  But now he must fix the walk.

He noted that the left side of the stoop and the walkway has sunk 2 inches.  And he could find no drain.  The water pours onto the walk and the patio and goes into the ground, where it washed away the dirt.  So he must pull out the brinks, install a new drain and raise the ground back to being level.  This will be a big job.  But it needs to be done.  The pillar  holding up the roof over the stoop has sunk the same 2 inches..  Eventually, that pillar will fall.  When the walkway is finished, I will have a much safer way to get in and out of the house.  I will be pleased when it is done.

May 1, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Underdogs.

For some reason or another, I always cheer for the underdogs.  I think it is a common habit.  These hockey playoffs have been giving me a bonanza of unlikely winners and losers.  One aspect of playoffs  in the first round is watching the big guys go down to defect.  This year we have seen a lot of it.

For instance, the New York Rangers were supposed to win the series against the New England Devils.  But the Devils just won the 7th game of the first round.  And they won the game 4 to 0.  I loved it.  And yesterday the Boston Bruins who won more games than any other team had won during the year lost to the Florida Panthers, who had over 40 point fewer during the regular season and who just eeked into the playoffs. I called Boston to play for the Cup.  But not this year.

And the winner of last year's Stanley Cup went down to defect.  The team from Denver is now home for the summer.  Seattle was a new team last season so this is the first year they have been in the playoffs.  And much to anyones surprise, they won the first round.  And of course, Toronto and Edmonton are now into the second round.  So this year, we have lots of new blood in the playoffs.  No more Tampa Bay Lightning into the second round.  Instead we will watch to see if the Florida Panthers can defect Toronto.

Now there are 8 teams into the next round.  I must say that there were so many games on TV that I did not watch all the games.  Even a true sports nut like me was saturated with hockey.  But it was fun watching these big guns go down in defect.  The next round begins tomorrow.  I am ready.